Press Releases:

HRC Mississippi to Host Conversation on Faith and Inclusion

Panel of clergy and other faith leaders will discuss their journeys leading inclusive faith communities

WASHINGTON—Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) will gather at a Jackson, Mississippi church to share experiences about building stronger faith communities for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people and their families. The faith gatherings are part of HRC’s Project One America, which is an effort to improve the lived experience of LGBT people in Mississippi. The conversation on faith and inclusion will be held July 24 from 6-7:30 p.m. at Fondren Presbyterian Church, 3220 Old Canton Road.

According to a recent survey commissioned by HRC, half of LGBT respondents in Mississippi are people of faith, including 63 percent of African-American LGBT people. However, more than one in five have experienced harassment monthly or more at their respective houses of worship. To address the concerns of LGBT people within the faith community, HRC launched project One America.

“Like many people across the state, LGBT Mississippians embrace their faith communities with open and loving hearts,” said Project One America Faith and Religion associate director Joseph Ward. “Increasingly, Americans from all walks of life support equality as an extension of their faith, not in spite of it. This event aims to build more inclusive spaces across Mississippi.”

Participants will have the opportunity to share their diverse experiences in faith communities and hear from a panel of clergy and other local faith leaders. Each will talk about their journey leading inclusive faith communities in Mississippi. Project One America is working to change hearts and minds, advance enduring legal protections and building more inclusive institutions in Mississippi.

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality. HRC’s Project One America--an unprecedented effort to dramatically expand LGBT equality in the South through permanent campaigns in Mississippi, Alabama, and Arkansas—is generously supported by the HRC Foundation.

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Contact HRC

Phone: (202) 628-4160
Fax: (202) 347-5323

To contact HRC please visit our contact us page. If you are a member of the media, you can reach our press office at: (202) 572-8968 or email press@hrc.org.

5 Things to Know about LGBTQ Issues

1. There are roughly 10 million LGBTQ adults in the U.S., or roughly 4.1 percent of the population.

2. Sixteen percent of same-sex couples are raising children according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2011 Current Population Survey.

3. There is no federal law that consistently protects LGBTQ individuals from employment discrimination; there are no state laws in 28 states that explicitly prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, and in 30 states that do so based on gender identity.

4. More than 50 anti-LGBTQ bills have been filed in 19 state legislatures in the 2017 state legislative session.

5. The FBI reported 1,167 hate crimes based on sexual orientation or gender identity in 2015. This is likely a dramatic undercount since thousands of agencies didn't submit any data and reporting is not mandatory.